Fantastic Four #4 Review and Spoilers

[Oberon]

Dragon Man has a very long but not always well used history. I actually favor something different. Certainly in the '60s, and somewhat '70s he was a beast (not a true villain) and they developed Noble beast tropes with the abduction of Sue on various occasions (and Medusa once).

But I've always had trouble with the glasses thing. I don't mind him being smart with his AI, and a great protector or hero in a different light, but I guess the visual throws it off for me. Guess I'm a little petty.

[CaptCleghorn]

I thought the issue was fine, the usual decompressed issue after something big happens.

To be fair, this issue was between the reforming arc and the wedding issue. I'm sure there are some personal character issues Slott wanted to check off and deal with. But I look forward to the new issue and a new FF story every two weeks for the rest of the year.

[Crimz]

To be fair, this issue was between the reforming arc and the wedding issue. I'm sure there are some personal character issues Slott wanted to check off and deal with. But I look forward to the new issue and a new FF story every two weeks for the rest of the year.

It being the breather issue is not a bad thing at all. There needs to be a lower stakes story after fighting a cosmic entity.

I'm looking forward to the wedding special and wedding issue. I agree it's really nice to not have to wait very long for issues, especially after the long break between issue 2 and 3.

[Ravin' Ray]

Some unanswered issues:
spoilers:

How exactly the Fantastix got the Baxter Building, and what happened to Blue Eagle. Nova seemingly wasn't in any batch of members 'ported back to Earth. I found it neat that Matt Fraction's FF team were all 'ported together: Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa, and Miss Thing, together with Crystal and H.E.R.B.I.E.

end of spoilers
Readers not familiar with the Fantastix might not know what their powers are. Ms. America can fly, has super-strength and durability; 2D's body is thin and elongated; Iceberg is covered in ice like Iceman and was shown to project ice only once; Hope has a bluish-white diamond body, like Emma Frost's.


Also, since I got Two-In-One #11 and #12 on the same day as this, I was able to read all of these in the proper order.

[Iron Maiden]

I thought the issue was fine, the usual decompressed issue after something big happens.

spoilers:

This was mainly an issue tying up loose ends I like some of the interactions, especially Alicia's with Ben and Franklin The Fantastix were 'meh' which may have been the intention Sue is just kind of... there. I'm worried that she's going to take backseat yet again, I hope I'm wrong.

end of spoilers

Will be getting this later today so I'll hold off on an opinion. But judging from your post I'm not encouraged.

IMO Slott needs to kick this thing into high gear if he wants to keep the new readers. I don't know why he's chosen this path for this first arc. I'll keep buying out of loyalty but others will need more than that.

[Kaijudo]

As someone who always found the Future Foundation a real drag, I'm happy to see them shuttled off someplace else and out of the main narrative. I'd have liked Alex Power to come back, but I'm sure he'll be back if they ever decide to do a new Power Pack series (which could be good with all of them having aged up over the years) or especially if they wind up doing a Power Pack movie or TV series.

Nice to see some of the Initiative characters get used again, even though the Liberteens wouldn't be my main choice for the characters who get dusted off.

[Crimz]

Will be getting this later today so I'll hold off on an opinion. But judging from your post I'm not encouraged.

IMO Slott needs to kick this thing into high gear if he wants to keep the new readers. I don't know why he's chosen this path for this first arc. I'll keep buying out of loyalty but others will need more than that.

I like some of what's going on so far as he's still sowing seeds and setting things up for his run, but I agree in wanting things needing to go into high gear. I'm worried about the arc after the wedding as it seems very Doom centered which is one of the things the team doesn't need. I've said many times how I feel about the teams reliance on him and now it turns out that Reed and Sue's very reason to leave was because of him. I know you love Doom, but he has grown outside of the team and I believe that they should be able to do the same.


But it's still early days though and I'm hoping for the best. He seems to be getting readers used to the family dynamic right now which I'm good with. I really like Reed's lesson to Valeria about boys and never dumbing herself down for anyone. The team just needs to feel as important as the Avengers again in the MU so I hope he's building to that too and that it's not too decompressed and long.

[Snoop Dogg]

This issue is pretty funny and chill, and is very enjoyably in the kind of celebratory mood that the book should be in for a hot minute with the first flagship coming back. But that first Valeria beat early on is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, and I hope they explore that more. It might just be my favorite scene with the character.

Also, the new FF status quo is really interesting and it would be a huge miss if they didn't give them a spotlight issue or even a mini. I genuinely envy whoever gets the inevitable Power Pack relaunch with the insane amount of meat there is to chew there.

[Digifiend]

Readers not familiar with the Fantastix might not know what their powers are. Ms. America can fly, has super-strength and durability; 2D's body is thin and elongated; Iceberg is covered in ice like Iceman and was shown to project ice only once; Hope has a bluish-white diamond body, like Emma Frost's.

Ms. Fantastix. She copied Reed and named herself after the team. At least it's unique - her old name was taken by Chavez.

[CaptCleghorn]

I like some of what's going on so far as he's still sowing seeds and setting things up for his run, but I agree in wanting things needing to go into high gear. I'm worried about the arc after the wedding as it seems very Doom centered which is one of the things the team doesn't need. I've said many times how I feel about the teams reliance on him and now it turns out that Reed and Sue's very reason to leave was because of him. I know you love Doom, but he has grown outside of the team and I believe that they should be able to do the same.


But it's still early days though and I'm hoping for the best. He seems to be getting people used to the family dynamic right now which I'm good with, I really like Reed's lesson to Valeria about boys. The team needs to feel as important as the Avengers again in the MU so I hope he's building to that too.

The first arc with what's her name was pretty major as far as getting a big cast together. And let's not forget, the Foundation and half the FF just finished with recreating a nearly destroyed multiverse. It seriously does not get bigger than that.

Doom is a character who really won't be far from the FF. I think the last writer not to rely heavily on Doom and wrote the FF for any length of time was Roy Thomas. Reed and ben had their chat in MTIO. Reed and Vic need theirs as well. How much has changed with Doom and his reformation? We've mentioned this again and again, but give post-SW Doom a chance before we complain. Slott's proven himself capable at shaking things up and he might pull this off to our liking.

[Crimz]

The first arc with what's her name was pretty major as far as getting a big cast together. And let's not forget, the Foundation and half the FF just finished with recreating a nearly destroyed multiverse. It seriously does not get bigger than that.

Doom is a character who really won't be far from the FF. I think the last writer not to rely heavily on Doom and wrote the FF for any length of time was Roy Thomas. Reed and ben had their chat in MTIO. Reed and Vic need theirs as well. How much has changed with Doom and his reformation? We've mentioned this again and again, but give post-SW Doom a chance before we complain. Slott's proven himself capable at shaking things up and he might pull this off to our liking.

I'm just really tired of the Reed and Doom stuff. I know it has to be tackled, but it's just frustrating that it's fallen back on so often. I hope that it's short.

[UltimateTy]

This was soooo wordy damn

[Prof. Warren]

Excellent issue. This was a perfect, and perfectly Marvel-style, re-entry of the FF into the MU proper.

Of course there isn't a parade welcoming them back, of course they're instantly getting flak from New Yorkers, of course there's no fanfare, and of course they came back into the middle of a busted, poorly planned publicity stunt trying to usurp their name. It's the Marvel Universe. It's constant chaos and no matter who a hero might be, one is ever impressed with them and the world seldom stops to be in awe of them.

And I love that the battle between the Fantastix and the Wrecking Crew is so clearly nothing but a low rent nuisance that Ben and Franklin immediately leave the scene.

A very warm issue, with a smart focus on character. I'm sure we'll see the Fantastix again and in the meantime, I can't wait to see what Reed does to outfit their new HQ.

[Ravin' Ray]

Ms. Fantastix.

Yes, but I purposely used the old name in order to draw readers to their past as the Liberteens.

[Oberon]

So .... I put on *my* glasses and reread the preview and saw that Dragon Man was not wearing glasses (like in some previous story)

Sorry I said that as I was not well-informed.